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Small Steel Rings

I picked up these steel rings from my local tackle shop. They are rated to 900 lbs and very small. Seems like they could have many applications and I haven't seen any mention of them on the forums. They are $5.25/8 Rings. Can you guys think of any uses for them?

Well a 900lb break strength means you shouldn't exceed 90-100lbs dynamic working load. Granted for us hanging in a hammock it's a 75% static load and they might handle upto 200lbs in that case. The biggest down side is, they are steel and probably weight as much or more than an SMC Descender ring which is rated at 4000lbs, I think.

Last edited by AaronAlso; 05-03-2012 at 07:24.
Reason: I should really wait to finish my morning caffine before posting.

"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." -Plato

i wouldn't trust the ratings from the manuf.! 900lbs must be the working load, since it's indicated that they are "unbreakable" too. (can't have it both ways, right?) as a causual observer of chinese hardware- they play fast and loose with product ratings. i would love to measure these rings in an attempt to figure out what they should hold, and personally i doubt that they could hold 900lbs without deforming. at a sig lower loading. lastly if you used amsteel as a way to connect, the rope will be making a rather severely sharp bend- best to use these as fishing leaders with 1/16" ss cables and thinbles to protect from edges.

- These are definitely lighter than descender rings, if you noticed in the picture their diameter is less than a dime's.
- They are actually manufactured in Japan (or at least they are a "product of Japan")
- Their edges are very smooth all the way around to avoid damaging whatever line is attached to it

You guys might be right about the strength - I certainly haven't tested them. If someone here has the means to test one I would be happy to send them one. The edges are pretty smooth but maybe they would cut through amsteel or be too rough on it. Maybe I will attach some 7/64" amsteel to one of these rings and hang off it to see how it fares. I only weigh about 165 though.

The warbonnet mamajamba uses welded steel rings about that size at the ends of the tarp to attach the guylines (instead of d-rings). Mine tended to rust at the weld point. They could be used in that manner.

I tried to find uses for the rolled rings I cut off the tops of Alum bottles I used for stoves. I had several ideas

A ring tied to each end of some zing it, use it to make a loop like you do when using a choke chain. Don't use it for one!

attach a ring to tarp corners or tarp side pullouts instead of a d ring and use small toggle in the ring for tie outs

Use a GG or webbing loop on a tarp tie out. Use the ring tied to a piece of line as a quick on/off tie out line. Ring catches in GG loop.

Quickly hanging things without knots like a water bag or pack- have a piece of line with a ring on one end and a toggle on the other for a knot less hang. Wrap line around limb and push toggle through ring.

Lots of places where they can be larks headed onto an existing loop

On a tarp ride line, I DID try to use them to pull 2:1 and 3:1 tension (see below on guy tensioner) on the ridgeline, but the Alum rings bent with about 40# force. I could not break them, but they became oval with pointy ends. If I recall, they were lighter than 1" or 3/4"??? Plastic D rings and lighter than figure 9s and free.

Use as a guy out tensioner that pulls 3:1. From tarp, Wrap through eye of ring 3 times then down to stake, back up through eye and pull 3:1 and tie off. A poor mans figure 9 and lighter. I'll post some pics of ths one day if I can ever are it work consistently.

Unfortunately, in my case, having a non heavy load bearing ring was just one thing in addition to a spliced eye or loop.

An UL version of ring toss using Ti stakes. Now Ti stakes can be multiple use cause they ate too small to dig a cat hole

I would research it further, but only because the company is in the hook business.

But, I am surprised, because most inexpensive rings are, I think, formed of seamed tubing, and the weight rating seems high for steel tubing with so little meat. Seamed tubing may not show the weld, but the seam is weak.

What this must compete against, as a fixed multiple-connection point, is a lightweight Amsteel loop. Could be plain, or could have a thimble in it.

Edit:

For a rule of thumb: Amsteel replaces hi-strength steel wire, diameter for diameter, in many industrial settings, and at about 12% the weight.

AmSteel®-Blue is a torque-free 12-strand single braid that yields the maximum in strength-to-weight ratio and, size for size, is the same strength as steel—yet it floats. <snip> making it an excellent wire rope replacement.

Samson

A 2" diameter spliced loop would use about 16" of 1/8" Amsteel Blue and have a breaking strength of about 2400lb. (Not twice that, even though it is completely doubled, because of weakness at the end. It would weigh about 4 grams. So, comparable strength spliced steel might weigh about 28g, 1 oz. Now, we're getting close to the weight of the lightest climbing-rated carabiners.

I like the Amsteel Blue continuous loop, instead of the steel.

Last edited by DemostiX; 05-04-2012 at 13:48.
Reason: added comparison to steel, correction of loop length